Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

In any event, I am not sure it would be appropriate for the Minister to debate the matter with us. Senator Mullins, who was one of the many Senators to speak on this issue, sensibly suggested it would be more appropriate for the board of NAMA to be brought before the Committee of Public Accounts or the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform to be interrogated and to answer questions. That appears more appropriate to me. The Government has said that it takes the allegations and accusations about NAMA very seriously. As others have said, anyone who has evidence of impropriety is legally obliged under section 19 of the Criminal Justice Act 2011 to bring that to the immediate attention of the Garda Síochána. I was glad to hear Senator Darragh O'Brien saying that the Garda Commissioner has had the information in question since early December and that he will be supplying the extra information today. Of course it is important to point out that neither the Minister for Justice and Equality, the Minister for Finance, any Minister of State nor the Government itself may be involved in carrying out criminal investigations.